Character Development

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-Your peace-Your knowledge and discernment. Build my trust. I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse: Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV)

23  Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Verse of the Day: Matthew 22:37-39

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Daily Reading: Numbers 9-11 Mark 5:1-20

Character Development

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-5

We all have 2 characters: the one the world knows and the one we and God know.

We would hope that all strive for them to be the same but we also know that some of us have a public face and a private face.

Our one real character is the one we and God know. Romans 5:3-5 speaks to developing this.

So what is perseverance? In the scripture, it means steadfast and cheerful endurance. It is hard to wrap our heads around being cheerful in suffering but this tells us that we must cling to God’s joy in us while the current storm rages-while we are in pain or grief.

Centering our minds on who God is and the fact that He is always with us must be practiced. A good place to learn is in silent meditation and this is hard for some to do so we must make ourselves do it. Like physical exercise causes some discomfort, mind work causes mental anguish. The more we go to the gym, the more of a habit it becomes. The more we meditate, the more accustomed we are to it. The anguish turns to peace and this is where our character becomes more solidly grounded by our counselor.

Psalm 139:1-4-”O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.“

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.”

God gives us an open invitation to sit and reason with Him. Will you-will we-waste this?

God is the only true character developer.

...because He loves us..

Father in Heaven,

My one true God of all wisdom. Lead me to kingdom obedience filling me with desire for You. Forgive me my stubborn choices in favor of the world. Lead me away from shallow excuses.

Great counselor,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen